Identity verification can feel invasive, but legitimate services usually ask for it because of law, fraud prevention, age rules, or account recovery. The important part is confirming the request is real before uploading anything.
Does this affect you?
Use this for banks, payment apps, government sites, ID.me, DMV or IRS accounts, marketplaces, and social platforms that ask for an ID photo, selfie, or extra account-history questions.
Why legitimate services ask
Most requests fall into a few categories.
- Legal requirements: banks, tax agencies, and benefits programs must confirm who they are dealing with. In banking this is often called Know Your Customer or KYC.
- Unusual activity: a new country, new device, password reset, or suspicious login can trigger an extra identity check.
- Age verification: some products and services legally require confirmation that you are old enough.
- Locked-account recovery: when email or phone recovery fails, ID documents may be the last proof of ownership.
- Fraud prevention: marketplaces and payment services use verification to stop fake accounts, bots, and repeat fraud.
How to tell a real request from a scam
Verification language is also used in phishing.
- Go directly to the service by typing the address or opening the official app. Do not use an unexpected text or email link.
- Do not provide your full password or a one-time login code to a person or form claiming to verify identity.
- Check the service’s official help center for why verification is required. Vague urgency is a warning sign.
- For government services, start from official .gov pages. Do not use links from unsolicited messages.
- If a request cannot explain what is being verified or how documents are handled, be cautious.
More control
What services may ask for
Common checks include a government ID photo, a selfie that matches the ID, or account-history questions such as previous addresses, transaction details, or account creation information.
Check document retention
Reputable services explain whether ID images are deleted after verification or retained for a stated period. Review the policy before uploading sensitive documents.
Verification does not always mean trouble
Automated fraud systems sometimes flag legitimate users because the pattern resembles abuse. A request for verification is not proof you did something wrong.
Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice – How to recognize and avoid phishing scams (2025)
- NIST – Digital Identity Guidelines: identity proofing (2025)
- IRS – Identity verification for IRS online accounts (2025)